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| Bangladesh |
| Party registration process hits snag |
| 2008-09-28 |
| The Election Commission's (EC) efforts to ensure registration of the political parties before the December 18 polls have run into difficulties with Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) of the BNP-led alliance opposing some of the criteria. Despite the EC's latest move to ease the registration procedure, BNP continues to be in a quandary over the issue for its allies' strong objections to the conditions that restrict registration of the religion-based organisations, sources in the four-party alliance said. It was the opposition of Jamaat and IOJ that led to retreat from Tuesday's announcement that BNP would get registered on meeting the criteria stipulated in the revised Representation of the People Order (RPO), added the sources. Against this backdrop, secretaries general of the four parties might meet today to decide on the next course of action. The uncertainty over registration of the major political parties before the national election might go only if BNP manages to make Jamaat and IOJ change their mind. According to the EC's new proposals unveiled last week, the political parties will not have to organise national councils to amend their constitutions to meet the criteria for registration, now mandatory for the parties seeking election to parliament. Those unable to hold councils at this time can still register by amending their constitutions provisionally. However, they must have the changes ratified at their national councils within six months since the first sitting of the ninth parliament. Awami League (AL), Jatiya Party and some other political parties have already agreed with the proposals and announced they would apply for registration after Eid. Given a relaxed registration process, BNP too does not face any major problems in fulfilling the criteria. But Jamaat and IOJ will have to bring major changes to their constitutions to get registered as political parties. |
| Posted by:Fred |